Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev will fight tonight in a light heavyweight uncontested match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight is seen as a boxer versus a puncher, but it’s actually two boxers going at it to decide who is the top dog in the 175-lb division.
WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) has speed, mobility and a youth advantage. Age could play a role in this fight for Beterbiev, 39, as he will undergo surgery on his right knee earlier this year. But if he performs at the level he did on January 13 against Callum Smith, Bivol will be in trouble. Beterbiev didn’t look old in that fight.
Tonight’s Beterbiev-Bivol fight will air live on ESPN+ at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT.
“I love the Eddie Hearn vs. Artur Beterbiev. Hearn knows the game, and he gets people interested. He got under Beterbiev’s skin a little bit, he showed us the poison,” said analyst Todd Grisham on Top Rank Boxing.
“Has Eddie Hearn ever gossiped about him? Did you get under his skin?” said Dev Sahni of Queensberry Promotions.
Beterbiev didn’t look angry when he asked Hearn why he was talking so much about him during the last press conference. He seemed more upset than anything. Hearn does this type of thing all the time, trying to piss off the fighters competing against his guys. It’s to help them, not just to excite the fans.
“I think Beterbiev’s team has been busy seeing that he is a boxer compared to a brawler,” said reporter Chris Mannix. “We know that Bivol is a good boxer, but Beterbiev’s team is right. He is the best boxer in his field. He is a two-time Olympian. He has a lot of freshmen awards.”
Fans see Beterbiev’s 20-0 record with 20 knockouts, and naturally think he’s a brawler, which he is. Beterbiev can box at times, but it is a means to an end. He does that to prepare his opponents for big shots to knock them out.
“He will touch you. He will throw four and five punch combinations in general. There are many boxing skills within Artur Beterbiev. At the same time, I think the 12 knocks on Bivol’s resume are a little misleading.
“I think he’s got more power than that from 12 knockouts. Bivol is the type of guy who rises to the level of his competition. “
Bivol has good power, but he rarely uses it because his focus is always on throwing quick combos and then walking away. He does not put his feet to load his fists. In Bivol’s last fight Malik Zinadwent on a rampage, firing 18 consecutive head shots to stop the referee in the sixth round on June 1st. Bivol needed to throw a lot of punches to get the knockdown.
“Both of these guys are two examples of Eastern European styles where you develop your nature and your physical ability,” coach Andy Lee said of Bivol and Beterbiev. “What I am looking for in the fighters is that Beterbiev can force him to go back and retreat. Can he put him in the ropes? What can I do when he gets there?”
Bivol will retreat if Beterbiev comes forward because he always fights like that. Bivol tends to give ground when pushed by powerful punchers, as he does not want to be beaten. What will be interesting to see is what Bivol will do if he runs out of houses and is caught by Beterbiev. Will he fight or hold?
“With Bivol, I’m looking to see if he can raise his hands. Can he punch and make Beterbiev miss and counter that?” Lee said.
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